Video ... and website --- French loco depot

[Neil]

Found while browsing the interesting pages at the other place is this rather fantastic French loco depot model.

It's more than several cuts above the usual cliché we see in the UK. It's obvious that the builder hasn't used the concept as a lazy way to display his toys but has tackled the subject artfully. There's more than a few pages on the model on the LR Presse forum here.

 

[Steve Cook]

With the fog and night effects, that layout is absolutely stunning. I had a look on the forum and translated it as my French is rather poor - the first posted comment...'Too good, I'm going back to bed'
Steve

 

[Dikitriki]

It is excellent indeed. The thing that amazed me was how big it appeared to be in the videos compared to the actualité

Richard

 

[Ressaldar]

Some great scenic work in that space, food for thought for Besson Street.

cheers

Mike

 

[Locomodels]

What a wonderful study in decrepitude. The attention to detail on the crumbling buildings and even the cracks in the tarmac roads. Truly stunning.

 

[mickoo]

Very impressive, almost makes me want to go back to 4mm, you can get a lot in if your careful

It has certainly given me a lot of food for thought for my germinating photo plank

 

[adrian]

Found while browsing the interesting pages at the other place is this rather fantastic French loco depot model.

Thanks for the reminder about that - I remember spending several hours browsing through it over Christmas and even better going through it again. As already mentioned the modelling is superb but I liked the presentation as well - a completely enclosed model, glass fronts, enclosed top. Sat on top of the cabinet it fitted in fine within the rest of the furniture at home - I wonder if attitudes to modelling and presentation is different on the continent.

 

[mickoo]

Sat on top of the cabinet it fitted in fine within the rest of the furniture at home - I wonder if attitudes to modelling and presentation is different on the continent.

Maybe he's single

But your right, the enclosed aspect certainly allows you to have 'discreet' smoke effects and not choke anyone with in a 20' radius It also keeps the model dust free, and a finger free zone at exhibitions thus allowing the viewing public to get much closer than is the norm.

 

[ceejaydee]

I've been spending some time recently looking into overseas modelling and get the impression that craftsmanship and creation is maybe valued differently outside the UK where the general population appears to view folks with creative hobbies as outsiders or eccentrics to be treated with suspicion and kept at arms length.

Of course the 'great unwashed' that infiltrate many hobbies do not help to alleviate the perception and contribute to the geek stereotype but in a country where manufacturing industry and creative skills are now given little value, anyone with hobbies where this type of activity is done by choice is deemed strange.

I also think that from a hobby insider perspective the various petty squabbles that take place in regard to features on rtr models or kits etc. within the 'community' only compound the fact that there is a perceived heirarchy within a group of folks that are often marginalised.

So how does this randomness relate to the op?
Well Neil said "It's obvious that the builder hasn't used the concept as a lazy way to display his toys but has tackled the subject artfully"
and in my mind we have it; art.
I know nothing about the railways of France yet this superb model has a "Je ne sais quoi" that from the comment translation Steve provided is true as his own countrymen, who you must assume are far more conversant with the subject matter than I, feel the creation is so good that he will return to bed.

On reflection the art concept becomes more valid with the sound, movement and effects (mist) therefore the layout becomes a stage where the actors (locos) move through it and the whole experience is captured on film albeit digital, from different angles and is then freely provided for all to see and savour.

If I had created something like this and had the room to display this, especially in a cabinet to keep it dust-free, then my good Lady would have no problem with it. In fact I am being told that I am spending too much time upstairs on my tiny embryonic US plank that I have been asked if I can make something to use downstairs in the living space - what a great wife I have

Thanks to Neil for posting the link and for providing access to some thought provoking creative art in the medium of model railways

 

[unklian]

I thoroughly agree with neil, ceejaydee and the other commentators on this thread. I have a certain amount of experience of Euro attitudes to railway modelling, having exhibited and helped with layouts in France, Holland and Denmark. The French in particular regard any model making beyond plastic kits as 'artisinale' or a level of creativity just below fine art. Anyone practising at a creative level in the hobby is also treated with respect. The only real parallel I can think of in the UK is perhaps the military modelling fraternity. The other aspect of railway modelling I have noticed is that with the possible exception of Germany, model railways in Europe are a much more minority hobby than here in the UK. As a result the community is much closer and more supportive of each other. You get a warm welcome as a fellow Modeliste, especially if you model their railways, and nobody knows what a geek is. Also with Francois' presentation of his model he would have little trouble placing it in a prominent position in his home for all his friends to see.
What isn't different is their criticism of the efforts of the trade, new models are picked apart by the magazines unmercifully. It's not much fun being a small or cottage manufacturer either, for various reasons they go in and out of business regularly.
I have to say though that I am encouraged by some of the changing attitudes in the hobby in the UK. Whilst the increase in RTR based modelling has sadly somehow lowered a lot of the overall quality of layouts ( especially in the smaller scales ), I think more folks are getting dissatisfied with that and turning to a more 'finescale' approach ( and larger scales ? ). There also seems to be a new generation of modellers coming , I was interested to see some bearded young men with girlfriends in tow at the last Model Engineering show I went to for instance. I don't think the general interest in "Vintage" and "Steam punk" styles will do the hobby any harm either. I think as long as the hobby keeps turning up good modelmakers and good models like the OP, more will take it up and be encouraged to do good things themselves.

 

[unklian]

PS to the above, I watched the follow on video, setting up the layout for an exhibition. Which really shows how the presentation of the layout works as well as being very funny for those who have set up layouts at shows. And if I have who's who right, isn't Francois young ??!!

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I watched the follow on video, setting up the layout for an exhibition.

I too watched this one and it goes to show the thought the builder put into the design of his layout for the ease and speed of setting it up at exhibitions. Something many UK exhibition layouts can learn from.

 

[ceejaydee]

........What isn't different is their criticism of the efforts of the trade, new models are picked apart by the magazines unmercifully. It's not much fun being a small or cottage manufacturer either, for various reasons they go in and out of business regularly.....

This is interesting to discover and given the level of detail, realism and accuracy these guys strive for given the snapshot I have seen then I expect it makes sense.

I've glanced through several model railway mags when I have been in France but have never bought one but have always been impressed with what I have seen.

I light of the love expressed on this thread for our cross-channel neighbours then maybe we could have a 'Western European Thunder' section on here (tongue firmly in-cheek)

 

[unklian]

.......whisper it quietly, but you could say that Western Thunder is the sound of german diesels anyway ...